Kerala RSS leader murder: ADGP Crimes S. Aananthakrishnan to head probe

Thiruvananthapuram: A team led by ADGP Crimes S. Aananthakrishnan will probe into the murder of RSS district pramukh  Elanthottathil Manoj in Kannur on Monday.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has rung up Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and enquired about the incident which took place while BJP president Amit Shah was in the state.

Stray incidents of violence took place across the state, mainly in northern districts, in view of the dawn to dusk hartal by RSS.

Functioning  of shops and commercial establishments were affected and KSRTC buses and other public transport vehicles kept off roads.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala told reporters that the ADGP would  visit Kannur and commence the probe.

A team of top officers would  be constituted. As per the first information report, eight persons were arraigned in the case, including local CPM activist Vikraman.

The district collector was directed to convene an all-party meeting. Adequate steps were also made to avoid further violence in the locality.

Political murders in Kannur could be curtailed only with the cooperation of all political parties, said Mr. Chennithala,  who also convened a meeting of top police officials on Tuesday to review the situation.

Regarding the BJP’s demand for a CBI probe, the minister said that any such decision would be taken after reviewing the progress of the Crime Branch probe.  There was  no intelligence input regarding any murder threat faced by Manoj, he said.

“Usually,  the union home ministry would seek reports  from state governments on such incidents.  The Home Minister does not call the Chief Minister in connection with those matters. But this time Mr Rajnath Singh called Mr Chandy. The state government will give a report to the centre,” said Mr. Chennithala.

The state government was not opposed to a CBI probe into the earlier cases  like Jayakrishnan Master murder or T.P. Chandrasekharan murder conspiracy. The CBI had turned down the repeated pleas of the state government to take up the two probes, he said.

Meanwhile, ADGP Ananthakrishnan held discussions with IG North-zone Dinendra Kashyap and other senior officers. Police sources said that two of the eight accused were already  identified - Vikraman, a native of Kathiroor, and Jithin, a videographer.

Vikraman is known to be a confidante of  CPM Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan. Vikraman's name had earlier figured in the statement of T P murder convict T K Rejeesh in connection with K T Jayakrishnan murder. The body of Manoj was buried at his house at Kizhakke Kathiroor near Thallassery.

Hartal supporters hurled bombs at business establishments and houses at Perallassery, Aadurpalam, Munnu Periya and Chakkarakallu, including the house of Viswa Hindu Parishath district president O K Jayakrishnan at Chakkarakallu.Tension prevailed at Taliparamba following attempts by RSS-BJP workers to forcibly shut shops and other establishments.

Windscreen of an inter-state Volvo bus was damaged in stone pelting by hartal supports near Vallikeezhu in Kollam district. Two beer parlours at  Kadappakada and Puthalathazham and a hotel at Punalur were also attacked by hartal supporters.

RSS office at Veekshanam road in Kochi was attacked by a three-member gang. Traffic along the MG road was affected after hartal supports blocked the road near Jos juntion. Incidents of stone pelting on vehicles were reported from Pothencode, Balaramapuram, Kattakada, Nedumanagaud and Kadakkavoor in Thiruvananthapuram.